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Dave Malloy's Preludes

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Dave Malloy's Preludes

dave1606
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Broadway Star Joined: 12/8/07

#1Dave Malloy's Preludes
Posted: 5/26/15 at 10:15pm

Sorry if I missed another thread on this, but havne't seen much. Caught this tonight, has anyone else seen it?


I have been a BIG fan of Malloy since I first saw Natasha Pierre and I loved Ghost Quartet. The subject matter for this seemed perfect for him, Rachmaninoff period piece in Russia, etc, but unforunately, this was a miss for me despite and excellent cast and one of most expansive sets I have ever seen in the Claire Tow Theater.


Gabriel Ebert and Nikki M James both give admirable performances and James has the best song in the show which ends Act 1. Unfortunately, the real problems start wih the book which seems more interested in doing an epsiode of In Treatment on Rachmainoff. Essentially the whole play revolves around his writers block. This becomes a problem and keeps the show dramatically inert.


The second act really careens off the rails including an Act 2 opener that had Eisa Davis and Gabriel Ebert bouncing neon balls up and down. (I couldn't make that up!)


There is an onstage pianist who is excellent and plays some beautiful excerpts from  Rachmainoff's work, but Malloy's score is very lacking. There is very little in the form of full fledged songs in Act 1, and not much more in Act 2. There are a few nice moments, but the show almost becomes a play with music rather than a musical.


I really really wanted to like it, but I cannot reccomend this. 

FindingNamo
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Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03

#2Dave Malloy's Preludes
Posted: 5/26/15 at 10:16pm

Maybe it'll continue to evolve?


If you're looking for a revisit to Natasha & Pierre and Ghost Quartet, they're both playing the A.R.T. in Cambridge MA next season.

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cardamon

Stand-by Joined: 12/19/04

#2Dave Malloy's Preludes
Posted: 5/26/15 at 11:32pm

There's another thread here.


People there seem to be similarly disappointed in the show Dave Malloy's Preludes

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Fan123

Broadway Star Joined: 8/30/08

#3Dave Malloy's Preludes
Posted: 5/27/15 at 6:49am

Ghost Quartet will apparently also play in San Francisco sometime soon, according to a vague comment at http://davemalloy.com/ghost.html. And a campfire version (nice) in July at Mount Tremper: http://mounttremperarts.org/dave-malloy.


 


Separately, there's also a Dave Malloy youth theatre show in the pipeline: http://www.ymtcberkeley.org/new-work-development-workshop/.

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